INDIANAPOLIS — For the second consecutive day, parents in the Washington Township School District, couldn’t rely on the school’s bus system to take their kids to and from school.
In an email sent to parents Thursday morning, the district stated that several bus drivers called out, leaving parents to find alternative ways to get their children to and from school.
“We average about 25 open routes a day that we have to try to figure out how to have drivers for,” Zach McKinney said.
McKinney is the Director of Transportation Services for the Hamilton Southeastern school district. He said the district is still feeling the impacts of the ongoing bus driver shortage.
“We are about seven open drivers from where I would like to be,” McKinney said.
Washington Township School District, Beech Grove City Schools, Carmel Clay Schools and Perry Township Schools are just several other Central Indiana school districts that are in need of bus drivers.
“Some of these kids wouldn’t have a way to school if we weren’t there,” McVey said.
This is where part-time substitutes like Tim McVey come in and play a vital role in helping the schools out. Substitutes can work up to eight hours per day.
“With me being in that position and being able to hop in when somebody else is out or something comes out. I can get out there and get them to school safely,” McVey added.
McVey comes in every morning before he works his full-time job, regardless of if he is needed or not. He drives for Franklin Township Community School Corporation.
“If someone is having a bad day – you can tell them hi and they weren’t expecting you to say hi to them and just that little bit of them getting on the bus telling them good morning and hey, how are you doing, could be enough to brighten their day,” McVey said.
Perry Township: https://www.perryschools.org/departments/human-resources/employment-opportunities/
Beech Grove: https://www.bgcs.k12.in.us/o/beech-grove-high-school/page/bghs-transportation
Carmel Clay Schools: https://www.ccs.k12.in.us/careers
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